The latest edition of the U.K Official Nintendo magazine (104) has some really interesting new information about DKCTF. For example each world has 3 secret levels instead of the original games one per world . Also the President and CEO of Retro says "As for Tropical Freeze, there are a few more things I feel we could have done with the animal buddies" which to me suggests that at least something has been done with them in Tropical Freeze.

So we are now looking at a game with around 60 levels in total (6 or 7 main with 3 secret ones) so similar if not larger than returns!

I would seriously reccomend that any DKCTF fan who lives in the U.K. gets the latest issue when it arrives in shops on 15th January as it reveals a fair few new bits about the game that I have not seen anywhere else and is an interesting read!

Retro wanted to use the 3D camera for the mine cart levels in Returns, but was cut due to time constraints

Retro used the delay to polish up everything in the game, from the animations to the soundtrack
Kelbaugh: "The extra time was really a blessing for us. It allowed us more time to refine and polish and to add that little bit of extra love Nintendo games are so famous for. It really made a difference. We made extra polish passes on particles and FX, animation and artwork. And, let’s not forget it gave David Wise and Kenji Yamamoto a little extra time to make adjustments to the amazing soundtrack!"

Monster Games, the studio that ported Donkey Kong Country Returns to 3DS, helped Retro with some of the level design, art, and engineering of Tropical Freeze

Making a 3DS port of Tropical Freeze would be very difficult because of the huge differences between the 3DS and Wi U tech
Tanabe: "However, if we were to port Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze to Nintendo 3DS, it would be extremely difficult to not lose quality, even for Monster Games, because of the huge differences in the 3DS and Wii U technical specifications – more so than Wii."

Retro Studios may consider a broader range of possibilities for their next project
Tanabe: "That being said, we may consider not just the Donkey Kong Country series but a broader range of possibilities for Retro’s next project."

I dread to think how difficult the ice levels are going to be on this game. I mean ice levels are hard enough as they are, but by Donkey Kong standards, sheesh. And the whole island has been taken over by ice! Gonna be so many ice levels.

I'm glad there's a lot of secret stuff to unlock, it will mean I'll actually put the effort in to get all the letters and what not. That's something I gave up on pretty easily in Returns.

ONM estimates that most levels will take about 10 minutes to complete on your first attempt

3-3 Frantic Fields: set against a hurricane, with small tornadoes, and lightning as obstacles; eventually you reach the eye of the storm

Next stage takes place in a forest, with sections on fire due to the previous level's lightning

Need to use watery fruit to put out vine fires in order to progress

Game includes tag barrels ala Donkey Kong 64, to switch between Kongs (could just be DK barrels)

Multiple routes in the various levels

3 secret levels per world confirmed

Time Attack returns

In Time Attack, you can choose which character’s DK barrels will appear

Upload times and full replays to show friends, and to help other players improve their own times

There seems to be more emphasis on the background, which is constantly moving, which makes the world feel alive, and sometimes provides hints to what you’re going to encounter next

When asked if there was anything they felt was missing from the game, Kensuke Tanabe said that he wishes they could have done more with the animal buddies

Tanabe also mentions that there is something from A Link to the Past that he wanted to do, couldn’t, and used it in Link’s Awakening instead (ending of LA when the egg opens)

Retro president’s favorite levels: 6-6 Cliffside Slide, “like jumping right into the middle of an action movie”, it’s a silhouette level. 4-4 Irate Eight, an underwater level which sounds like the giant octopus from DKCR is back. 3-3 Frantic Fields, which is challenging, but with a bit of comedy.

Tanabe mentions that World 4 is made of only underwater levels.

Kelbaugh also mentions that he likes 4-4, and 3-6 Cannon Canyon, because of the dynamic 3D camera movement

Animation quality has improved over Returns

With David Wise, Kenji Yamamoto, and Scott Petersen, they have an amazing soundtrack, and special effects effort

Tanabe was surprised that so few people in DKCR didn’t want to use the Super Guide once it appeared. He said that the difficulty of Tropical Freeze hasn’t been lowered, but that they have added some features that will give casual players an easier time.

Difficulty hasn’t been lowered, but the new items, and Kong POW allow you to change the difficulty of the levels somewhat

Miyamoto told Retro, when first working on DKCR: “This is my baby. Don’t mess it up.”

Kelbaugh and Tanabe both worked on DKC, with Tanabe on the Japanese localisation, but never met.

Ten years later Tanabe met Kelbaugh, when he became president of Retro. He saw that Kelbaugh had a DKC jacket, and they learned that they both worked on DKC.

A few years after that they both started on DKCR, Michael gave DKCR the codename F8 – fate.

Retro was working on Mario Kart 7, and TF at the same time

Tanabe, and his team at SPD is Retro’s primary contact at Nintendo, but the games are a collaborative effort throughout Nintendo

If they found themselves on Kong Island Kelbaugh would team up with Diddy, and Tanabe with Donkey Kong, so that he could be carried around